POLAND — The Board of Selectpersons voted Tuesday to accept two fuel bids, one for unleaded and diesel fuel and another for heating oil and propane.
Town Manager Matthew Garside recommended the board stay with Irving Energy for unleaded and diesel fuel but switch to Downeast Energy for propane and heating oil.
Previously, Irving supplied all four, but Downeast had a better offer. The company also will replace the fuel tanks as part of its price.
The board also signed its annual agreement with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office. The agreement was approved at the town meeting in April.
A public hearing was held on the streetlight installation policy, a topic discussed at a previous selectpersons meeting.
Garside presented a proposed policy change to make the process more fair. The current process, he said, is that a resident can apply for a streetlight to be installed and the town manager will recommend to the board whether it should be done.
The proposed policy states that a resident or business owner can apply for a streetlight and the application will be reviewed by the code enforcement officer. The code officer would present the findings to the Planning Board, and the findings would be passed on to the selectpersons for final approval.
Selectperson Joseph Cimino said he was unsure why the change is needed.
Selectperson Mary-Beth Taylor said the change was requested because it’s just one person making the decision.
Cimino also wanted to know why there was no provision for a streetlight to be removed.
Garside said that could be added to the policy.
A new policy will be drafted and brought back to the board at a later date.
The board also discussed a possible deal with RealTerm Energy for streetlights to be energy-efficient LED lights. The cost would be about a 20 percent discount because multiple towns are involved, lowering the cost for the RealTerm Energy.
The estimated cost, including the $10,000 to buy the streetlights from Central Maine Power, would be $52,000. There would be an estimated savings of $12,400 a year in running and maintaining the lights.
Cimino said he wasn’t comfortable moving forward without doing a request for proposals and comparing the cost with other companies. The discussion was tabled until an request for proposals could be drafted.
In other matters, the board approved and signed the Poland Sno Travelers beano/bingo application. The game is played once a week during the summer at Range Pond Campground.
The board also announced a hearing on a proposed municipal complex at 6:30 p.m. May 10 at the Town Hall.
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